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Our own ‘rock solid’ has recently averred that science does not traffic in probabilities, but in proven theories. So, on his account, the putative distinction betwixt science and mathematics is a chimera: both disciplines deal in knowledge [read: “thang proven”, certainties].

In support of this view, he notes that the word ‘science’ “…comes from the Latin word ‘scio’, which means ‘to know’.” Quod erat demonstrandum, I guess.

Yet, I’m not so sure that I trust his compelling, etymological evidence. After all, (the name) “Chicago Cubs” derives from two Greek terms: “chicae”, which means “those who triumph” or “those who amass more runs”, and “cubi” meaning “world-wide series”, or “global event” or “major happening in a game played with a ball”.

If rock is correct, I suppose that scientists (in any given field of scientific endeavor) would never disagree, for one cannot prove both a proposition and its denial within the same, consistent framework. More importantly, if I declare myself to bee a scientist, my wife could never hope to overcome the proofs that I offer on my side in our spats. [Might I purchase “on line” a certificate that designates me to bee a scientist? For big bucks, I suppose.]

Anyway, if there’s one class of humanity, more than Members of Congress, that affords itself the right “to revise and extend its remarks,” it is Scientists. Who are forever rejecting their hoary positions, held for millennia, almost on a daily basis.

An example is their proof that rays of light always travel in straight lines. [That proven fact, by the way, was invoked by Aristotle in one of his “proofs” that the Earth is round.] And, as it has turned out, scientists have lately shown that light rays always DO travel in straight lines.

I sense some honesty in Mr. Mike Goodrich’s epistle that addresses “problem gambling”. Yet, his avowal that “at Potawatomi…, we make sure we're doing right by our guests…” brings a smile.

Given what I have observed at casinos – particularly at those run by Native Americans – I find Goodrich’s assurance difficult to swallow. Those casinos do not respect their guests. They prey upon them.

I understand that casinos are not non-profit ations; indeed, it is expected that the house must have an advantage in the various games that it offers. But one must ask, “Just how pronounced should that advantage be?” Otherwise put: At what point are their “guests” being gouged?

I once sat at a twenty-one machine at the Mystic Lake Casino in Shakopee, MN. After playing a few 25-cent hands, I came out with a result that both the dealer and I had the same point total. And I learned that that result favored the house! The house WON “pushes”! Huh? GOUGING!

Typically, in Indian casinos, at a video poker machine, the return on a one-unit full house bet is 7 units. In Vegas, it’s 9. For a flush, it’s 5 units, not the 6 paid in Vegas.

The reason? In Vegas, there’s COMPETETION. In Wisconsin, there’s NONE. So the casinos here have the insouciant luxury of being able to prey upon those who need to gamble; they take exorbitant advantage of gamblers, especially problem gamblers.

I once waited on line at Bally’s to see a show. I looked over the shoulder of a gent who was losing lots of money at a video poker machine. Simply put, he didn’t know what he was doing.

So I thought: I’ve got to get on the right side of the table. So, instead of betting money IN casinos, I resolved to bet money ON casinos. When I returned home, I invested in a sizable stake in BLY. It later spun off Bally’s Fitness (BFIT), and my investment doubled in about two years.

Dear Reader: Don't get ripped off in Indian casinos. Invest in shares of Vegas stock. Get on the right side of the table!

Dear Reader: Don't get ripped off in Indian casinos. Invest in shares of Vegas stock. Get on the right side of the table!**************OMG, what's becoming of this world? A hard core lefty siding with an evil rich business to prey upon the downtrodden masses. What next? Investing in an oil company, defense contractor, Bain Capital, or maybe Koch Industries?

This is one of the two times a day that da bee and stopped clocks are right.

I believe there are 24 Indian casinos around the state, from very large to very small. At a minimum, the state should allow 24 non-Indian casinos, one to compete nearby to each of the Indian casinos.

Anyone else remember when Doyle was AG and he was opposed to expansion of Indian gaming? Then once he was gov and running for re-election and the Indians backed trucks of money up to his campaign, then he was all for expanding it.

Remember in the new pacts he drew up himself that had a poison pill provision that said if the state ever allowed non-Indian casinos, the state would have to pay back all of the money it had collected from the Indian casinos? Of course that would insure there would never be competition.

At the Stratosphere, a “European-style” roulette wheel shows 18 black numbers, 18 red numbers, and ONE green number. Perhaps, Dear Reader, you know the significance of that; perhaps not. But what you should understand is that a one-unit bet placed at that table has an expected return of roughly .973 units.

That’s pretty impressive. Someone who places, say, exactly ten bets at such a table has a rather decent chance of walking away a winner. Still, I sometimes must smile inwardly about what even THOSE casinos offer.

Consider the case I just cited. And imagine that I, an entrepreneur, began a business from out of my house. I advertised that anyone who comes to my door and gives me a $100 bill would instantly be given $97.30 in return. Do you imagine that I would do a booming business?

For my part, I enjoy going to Vegas. I bet small sums on casino games that require thinking. And I believe that such an activity, in the right joint, can, indeed, be fun: “cheap entertainment”.

Still, the lesson I taught previously – making the distinction betwixt betting IN, as opposed to ON, a casino – is valuable. It should teach all of us that, whereas spending is often wasteful, wise investment is most often judicious: profitable, productive.

Gary Johnson 2016 - Today at 11:03 AM:"Please, Professor Long-Winded, defend the Obama administration giving a company with a failed business model $500 million of taxpayer money to get a photo-op. I need more things of yours to laugh at."*****************Obama doesn't spend money anymore he invests it, but in the case of Solyndra I guess you could say Barry gambled and lost.

"Obama doesn't spend money anymore he invests it, but in the case of Solyndra I guess you could say Barry gambled and lost."

When the game is rigged against the taxpayers, we lose every time. Obama won his campaign contributions from the execs and investors and got a free photo-op out of the deal. What a great deal for the taxpayers!

Go ahead and cherry pick the few that failed, but you also have to give credit to the 87% that succeeded.

"But 87 percent of the Department of Energy's 1705 loan guarantee program for green energy is made up of low-risk investments, and these loans have succeeded in creating jobs. Furthermore, the investments in green energy the government made as part of the stimulus have been more frequently successful than green energy investments made by the private market."

As opposed to Romney: "Out of 77 companies in which Romney invested, only 10 were really good investments. 70% of Bain’s earnings came from these 10 companies. And that, my friends, is only a 13% success rate."

The private sector is AMAZING. Solyndra!!!!! Benghazi!!! Words that make you angry!!!

"As for how a "libertarian" learns most of his politics from neo-con slogans, I'll never know."

I love it when you imply I'm not a libertarian - it shows the completely oblivious side of you. If pointing out how government wastes money isn't a "libertarian" thing, nothing is. Keep on blurting the oblivious.

In regard to letter writer Jerry Hanson's feigned concern about Wisconsin's budget, its strange that we didn't hear a peep out of Liberal Democrats when the Doyle administration was putting Wisconsin deep into debt, and we hear nary a peep from the Liberal Democrats about the obscene debt that the Obama regime is accruing, but now that we have a Republican governor here in Wisconsin, all of a sudden the neolibs are showing all kinds of concern about budgetary matters.

In light of their history of remaining silent about the reckless spending of Democratic (and RINO) politicians, does anyone really take the Democrat's new-found concern over the Walker administration's handling of budget matters very seriously?

Yeah, because raising taxes and cutting spending in on the table right now from the "Liberal Democrats."

Cutting spending alone is still not enough to balance the budget.

Over the past 12 years, the wealthy (not you, but someone making 10-100x as much) have disproportionately benefited from tax breaks. The same people have failed to deliver on creating jobs and providing "trickling wealth" that raises all boats.

We've spent a dozen years watching the erosion of the middle class, as the upper half percent amasses unfathomable wealth.

So, mac, excuse me if I support policies that would begin to restore the middle class.

"In regard to letter writer Jerry Hanson's feigned concern about Wisconsin's budget, its strange that we didn't hear a peep out of Liberal Democrats when the Doyle administration was putting Wisconsin deep into debt, and we hear nary a peep from the Liberal Democrats about the obscene debt that the Obama regime is accruing, but now that we have a Republican governor here in Wisconsin, all of a sudden the neolibs are showing all kinds of concern about budgetary matters. "

It is disingenuous to blame just the Obama administration for the massive increase in the debt. Over 8 years, Bush and Congress added $5 trillion to the debt. You could say that is nothing since Obama and Congress added $5 trillion in 4 years but to ignore the prior 8 years is disingenuous.

It seems to me Doyle had a 28% approval rating towards the end. Wisconsinites were paying attention and did not like what they saw. That's why he did not run. To say there wasn't a peep about Doyles antics is ridiculous.

But then again, a common ploy is to distract from the subject at hand. Walker has not balanced the budget like he states. It is better, but still far from balanced by $2.6 Billion.

Walkers statements aren't surprising because he's a liar that couldn't get through college math.

As usual people like letter writer Manfred Koehler are playing politics with the livelihoods of Wisconsin citizens by hiding behind the phoney ploy of environmentalism to try and keep jobs from being created here in the state under Governor Walker's leadership. If there was a Democratic governor trying to get a mine opened, you know and I know that we wouldn't be hearing one word of protest out of the Democrats about environmentalism or any other phoney excuse to try and keep the mine from happening.

And speaking of environmentalism, if the Democrats are so environmentally conscious, how come whenever they hold a rally or a protest their sites look like pigsties when they're done? And if the Democrats are so concerned about the environment, why do they use electricity and gasoline and own cars and houses? If they care so much about the environment, wouldn't you think they'd put their money where their mouths are and live in tents and walk to get where they're going?

Gary Johnson 2016 - Today at 4:33 PM:"Six votes in favor of oblivious blurting."***************Paine may have sent in an "absentee thumb." Taxi keeps a permanent thumb on file, bee's computer is programmed with a file of all the sillies and set to default to a red thumb whenever a silly is detected. So, bottom line whenever you tally your thumbs just subtract 3 and that is your true total.

Gary Johnson 2016 - Today at 2:46 PM:"Yeah, that $87 billion will end up killing thousands of people."****************Yes Obama would like the sheeple to believe that planes will fall from the sky and crime will run rampant and houses will burn to the ground due to a lack of fire and police personnel all because he wasn't allowed to spend "X" more billions of dollars. Truth be told, even if he was prevented in spending these "X" billions of dollars he would still be spending more than he did last year. Moreover it should be noted that it takes one thousand billion dollars to equal one trillion, and Obama routinely spends several trillions of dollars each year. So bottom line, what are we talking about? Less than a penny on a dollar and if he doesn't get his way Armageddon will be upon us? Is this leadership by instilling fear tactics or incompetent leadership that doesn't know how to manage pennies?

"So bottom line, what are we talking about? Less than a penny on a dollar and if he doesn't get his way Armageddon will be upon us? Is this leadership by instilling fear tactics or incompetent leadership that doesn't know how to manage pennies?"

Yes, it has come to the point where a drop in the bucket is now spun by the Keynesian in Chief and his minions to the point that they will say anything to keep the spending in place.

Gary Johnson 2016 - Today at 5:09 PM: "Yes, it has come to the point where a drop in the bucket is now spun by the Keynesian in Chief and his minions to the point that they will say anything to keep the spending in place."*****************The sky IS falling...just ask Taxi. While you're at it ask him what he thinks of the Emperor's new clothes.

outoftowner1 - Yesterday at 2:46 PM:"It can't be that Obama was wrong, can it?"************Barry is never wrong, and if it should appear that he is Bush probably had something to do with it. As for sequestration, the Bampster was for it before he was against it.

da bee - Today at 4:01 PM:'I should like 50,000 words to defend myself against that reckless, vile charge. But, unfortunately, there’s more truthiness in what jack writes than in what I might submit in my defense."******************Ahh...pulleeze, when has 50,000 words stopped you from saying anything?